A Motorcycle tour of Milford Sound on New Zealand’s south island literally takes you into Lord of the Rings territory and truly warrants the term Tolkienesque . Long before Peter Jackson and his location scouts settled in the region, the spectacular fiordlands left such an impression on Rudyard Kipling that he called them the “eighth wonder of the world- a motorcyclists nirvana” (well, maybe not that last bit).
The steep winding route with it’s textbook hairpins is subject to a broad spectrum of microclimates, demonstrated by the varied scenery that you will witness with open jaw and wide-eyed wonder. It ranges from rugged paddocks and sweeping meadows to thick forest and snow-capped mountains- the source of the region’s many cascading waterfalls that spray the road for added excitement.
The loop proper is a 120 km ride from the small town of Te Anau, through the Southern Alps towards Milford Sound itself but don’t even think about turning around before you take the obligatory boat cruise through ancient towering glaciers, to really appreciate Kipling’s awe. It’s best to begin the ride in Queenstown or even better, as part of a south island tour that finishes in Christchurch, as outlined below.
Planning Your Ride on Milford Sound
Visas/ paperwork
UK passport: can arrive without a visa and stay for up to 6 months as a visitor, provided you have a valid passport valid for at least the duration of your stay and an onward ticket.
U.S passport: can arrive without a visa and stay for up to 3 months as a visitor, provided you have a valid passport valid for at least a month longer than the duration of your stay and an onward ticket.
Australian passport: can visit, work and live in NZ indefinitely with no visa, with the exception of those with a criminal record.
Highlights and Onward Journey
It sounds like a cop out to say ‘all of it’ but the Milford Sound route is absolutely ‘mint as’, the locals say.
On Hwy 6 out of Queenstown you’ll skirt the Lake Wakatipu shoreline, the most impressive vantage point in Devil’s Staircase.
Knobs Flat and Lake Gunn are early bird specials, best viewed as the morning mist rises and the coach tours are still sleeping!
A contender for the most impressive leg is the section that climbs up to the Homer Tunnel. The tunnel is a one-way system so you can marvel at the surroundings while waiting for the lights and proceed like a bat out of hell through to the other side!
The Milford Sound boat trip, although not technically part of the ride, is of bucketlist proportions, even more so if you visit at the right time of year.
Invercargill:A hardware store in the city of Invercargill is an unlikely pilgrimage on a south island tour but Hayes Hardware is home to the custom 1920 Indian Scout as raced by local legend Burt Munro who set several world speed records at Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats in the 1960s, as popularised in the Anthony Hopkins movie The World’s Fastest Indian.
Florence Hill beach: After the grandeur of the fiordlands and the southern alps, the regional variety of New Zealand’s landscape appears in the form of the tropical looking beach at Florence Hill on the south coast.
Bluff is a small town standing at the southernmost tip of New Zealand.
The journey north to Christchurch leads you back into mountainous terrain flanked by some of the most exotic flora on the whole island, with numerous options for side-trips until you reach Twizel town, overshadowed by 12,000 feet of the great Mount Cook. New Zealand’s highest peak was the training ground for Sir Edmund Hillary prior to his Everest expedition.
Accommodation
Queenstown is firmly on the around-the-world backpacker circuit, is a world class skiing destination and the gateway to some of the finest hiking imaginable. As a result, the town has a bevy of accommodation options ranging from hostels to swanky hotels. It fills up in summer so if you’re visiting at this time of year it’s worth booking ahead, unless you don’t mind winding up in a dorm with gap year students drinking cask wine until the wee hours!
If you’re planning on making a stop at the village of Milford, it’s essential to pre-book as there are limited options. Alternatively, the Milford Sound gateway town of Te Anau has more options and a wider range of services.
Food
Kiwis love the great outdoors and the food on offer all over the country will satisfy the hungriest of mountain men. Pubs abound and many focus on locally sourced ingredients and a range of NZ beers, from household names like Speights to lesser known boutique brewers. Lamb is of course synonymous with the country but actually a lot of the best meat is exported to those not lucky enough to visit themselves! Nevertheless, you will be able to find hearty homemade meals whether you’re at a roadside ‘milk bar’ or a lively pub. In the towns and cities there are chain supermarkets for anything you might need.
Money and Fuel
Especially for those who are undertaking an extended south island tour, make the most of the services in major towns and cities like Queenstown, Wanaka, Invercargill and Dunedin, just in case you find yourself in a village whose ATM is out of order or fuel pump is broken. It’s unlikely but not unheard of in remote parts.
Weather
The Milford Sound and New Zealand as a whole is best experienced in summer, from December to February. Spring from September to November is also a good option.
Autumn, from May to March is brisk at best and will see some challenging weather, in particular rain, punctuated with the odd bluebird day. Winter is downright treacherous with horrendous winds, snow and ice and avalanche risk: no fun at all.
Timing/ Itinerary
Queenstown to Te Anau is approximately 170 km and from Te Anau the route to Milford Sound is 120 km on State Highway 94, about 2 hours. You can do the journey in a day if you’re heading back to Queenstown but if you’re continuing south and have time, it’s worth staying overnight to make the most of the stunning region.
